Unfamiliarisationism

[Maha]

The word pertains to becoming over familiar with the roads in which you often ride.
All (without exception) roads that I normally ride on are have one/two/three and at times a few more of those bends/corners that can catch you out if you don't know the road.
So for me (or anyone for the matter) who rides certain roads regularly, you know where these 'catch you out' spots are, and they are not normally a problem.

But when you ride a piece of road for the first time, the 'catch you out' corners can do exactly that.
Not all corners/bends are speed posted.
Maybe at best, an arrow here and there but that only tell which way to point you bike.
One particular bit of roads north of here has a corner that, head north is not a problem, but head back the other way is a very different story, it caught me out once, but I stayed upright so the outcome was good on that day.
Question: What is your mindset when you approach a road for the first time?

[Gremlin]

hopefully not asleep. :D I ride plenty of unfamiliar roads (and I don't think your word exists :p). Other than that, smooth, conservative lines and read the road.

[Subike]

Lower my speed.
treat every corner as a potential hazard
be prepared to stop at all times
read the road. heavy wear on the surface just before a crn can depict a sharper corner where trucks have had to brake harder, thus compact or ripple the surface with their weight. this is a clue for a sharp corner that is not speed marked. Or a corner that tightens after you enter it.
Tree line breaks can depict farm gate positions, potential hazard from both entering farm vehicles and or stock.
never take for granted that the road condition is up to std, as road repairs can leave humps or hollows which could upset your line of travel.
Don't assume that the person in front of you automatically knows the road better than you if they are going at a faster pace, they may just be a higher risk taker than you

[Mom]

hopefully not asleep. :D I ride plenty of unfamiliar roads (and I don't think your word exists :p). Other than that, smooth, conservative lines and read the road.

Not asleep seems a great way to be riding :killingme

Have you ever experienced waking up in your bed with no clear memory of driving home? No booze either. Just a night shift week after week.

[Quasi]

new roads and old always get my respect. And old roads ridden the opposite way are just like new roads. It always amazes me when i do the regular rides back to front, how they are as tho i have never been on them before:gob:

But any road on my duc make my heart sing.

[sunhuntin]

im not a speeder in any sense of the word. i dont ride faster than my eyes [or headlight if its dark] can see.
i dont try to guess what the rest of the corner looks like and usually slow down if im at all leary. i like the sign posted corners, and will usually ride slower than the suggestion first time round.

even the roads i know well [say between wangas and palmy, or wangas and welly] i treat like new each time. i may know the lay of the road, but i dont know whats ON the road.

[mikemike104]

My motto on new roads: Slowly Slowly

thatisall

[MSTRS]

All the clues, obvious and subliminal, come into play. That, and keeping speed such that I can stop if I have to.

[kiwifruit]

Question: What is your mindset when you approach a road for the first time?

Knee down at all cost

[Maha]

Knee down at all cost

Even on the straight bits?....damn, how tall are you?

[porky]

Knee down at all cost

And fang it all the way to the grave!

[Maha]

Lower my speed.
treat every corner as a potential hazard
be prepared to stop at all times
read the road. heavy wear on the surface just before a crn can depict a sharper corner where trucks have had to brake harder, thus compact or ripple the surface with their weight. this is a clue for a sharp corner that is not speed marked. Or a corner that tightens after you enter it.
Tree line breaks can depict farm gate positions, potential hazard from both entering farm vehicles and or stock.
never take for granted that the road condition is up to std, as road repairs can leave humps or hollows which could upset your line of travel.
Don't assume that the person in front of you automatically knows the road better than you if they are going at a faster pace, they may just be a higher risk taker than you

Now this is a great reply. Knowing/assuming/taking for granted/potential hazards, its all covered in these few words.

[R-Soul]

i may know the lay of the road, but i dont know whats ON the road.


and that sums up roads in general, old or new, familiar or unfamiliar - well said!
If you want to push the bike ,go to a track.

[slofox]

Mindset on new roads? Careful. (And on familiar roads too, come to that.)

Several experiences have led to that.

1.) Worst one. I've never forgotten it. Rural road, open road speed limit. Which I was probably exceeding. A kid ran out into the road as I came around a corner I could not see through. Just metres in front of where I was. No chance of stopping. I was sure I would hit him. He stopped and I missed. But had he taken a couple more steps, I would have hit him with probably fatal consequences. Reason? I was too fast for the corner/visual field. Dumb.

2.) Recent. Came over the brow of a hill I ride often. There in front of me was a car on my side of the road. Passing cyclists two abreast. Lucky for me there were seal repairs on the road that day and I was going slower than usual. So I missed him. Normal speed would've had me as a hood ornament. Learn again. Don't fang into place you cannot see.

I grit my teeth at times when I see riders doing either of the above things. Sure, the odds are low - most of the time the road is clear. But from time to time it's not.

How could you live with yourself if you ran into somebody's kid who did as in No1. above?

I couldn't.

[BMWST?]

i will deliberatley ride lines that maximise vision ,use the contours of surrounding lanscapes to give a clue as thwhere the road goes,fencelines ,waterways can all give clues as to which way the road goes.Some good observations earlier too.Keep looking far ahead tho not just on the few metres of raod ahead of you

[yungatart]

I have the retention abilities of a goldfish. Can't for the life of me remember the road, no matter how many times I've ridden it.
So its always a brand new experience for me, which is why I err on the side of caution.


Maybe I just have alzheimers?

[ducatilover]

I tend to squint, grit my teeth and scream.

[slofox]

Maybe I just have alzheimers?

Join the club - we call it the ...errrrr..mmm...ah shit...

[ducatilover]

Join the club - we call it the ...errrrr..mmm...ah shit...

Happy Easter Gertrude :facepalm:

[Edbear]

I think by the time I get to ride again, all the roads will be unfamiliar... :bye:

Good thing I ride like a Nana anyway. :scooter:

[dilligaf_nz]

New Roads and corners = Nana riding for me.
Too many close calls / cockups in the past to make me want to anything but..

[dilligaf_nz]

Have you ever experienced waking up in your bed with no clear memory of driving home? No booze either. Just a night shift week after week.

I get that some mornings riding to work (on the southern motorway or around spag junction normally). I suddenly realise I am further down the road that I was last time I had an awareness of where I was.

I think it's boredom.. :facepalm:

[Mom]

I think it's boredom.. :facepalm:

I used to drive from Greenlane Hospital to Bucklands Beach. Finish up work after seven, be home in time for my Mom to drive to her work in Parnel. Manys the time I woke up in my bed with no recollection of driving home :shit: :blink::gob: Very scarey shit. Have not done it on a bike, though I used to do the same commute on two wheels as well.

[dilligaf_nz]

I'm pretty sure I'm still aware of what's going on around me, just not recalling it..

Still scarey sometimes though.

can you get Alzheimers at 39??

Or maybe my brain's just too huge to be bothered recalling the trivia.
like names..
:Playnice:

[Toaster]

I consider myself a potential hazard as well as the road, familiar or not, and whoever else is on it at the time.... other bikers, cars, trucks, effluent, oil, asians, sheep.


Saving the big efforts on throttle for track days..... mmmm track dayyyyyys.......

[Robtharalson]

Up to the time I met another bike head on with fatal consequences to him, and on my favorite road no less, I had been following pretty standard racing lines when in any canyon, familiar or not. After that, however, I actually did not slow down that much -- just substantially changed my riding style to maximize sight lines when approaching any corner: never commit to a line through a corner until you know what the condition of the exit is. In order to do this your entrance should be as close to the centerline in lefthanders (righthanders for me and anyone else blessed with roads where they drive on the correct {right} side), and kissing the shoulder on rights until you have the necessary information to get through the corner without getting your insurance carrier involved. With much practice I noticed the fun factor was exceeding that of my previous go-for-it rides and I had gotten smoother and much more assured when faced with unfamiliar stretches of asphalt. A well practised hand at trail braking helps as well.

In a nutshell: Slowing 'til you know where you're going. It really works remarkably well.

#1 rule of canyon riding: THE ROAD IS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH ASPHALT COLORED SAND UNTIL YOU PROVE OTHERWISE! Even if you just ran it 15 minutes ago. Yeah, it almost caught me out a few times.

Rob

[MSTRS]

That's called 'late apexing' and is a very effective riding tool on any road, familiar or new. Much safer, and you get more corner for your buck...
Racing lines are for race tracks. They are potentially lethal on public roads.

[R-Soul]

Join the club - we call it the ...errrrr..mmm...ah shit...

The "Hide Your Own Easter Eggs" club?

Dont laugh. Its hours of fun.

[XP@]

Positioning: delayed apexing will give you the best view and position you in a good place away from the oncoming traffic.

Speed: You should be able to stop in 1/2 the distance you can see. But I don't want to ride like a nana I hear you cry! You don't have to though, all you need to do is look at the "vision point" and apply this rule of thumb:
1. Slow down if the vanishing point is coming towards you.
2. Hold even if it is staying in the same place.
3. Speed up if it is going away from you.
Apply this as required for each corner as required. Remember if there is a blind spot around the corner it is (like our Californian friend said covered in crap (potholes, slips, possums, gravel and 4x4's over the center line).

The technique in this video works really well if you have never been down a road before or have been down it 100 times this week.
http://www.mikewaite.co.uk/video/free-video-extracts/bends-high/

What is not included in the video is the explanation of what the vision point is. It is the point where the left and right sides of the road meet. Next time you are on a road you know keep an eye out for this point and notice how it moves in relation to the shape of the bend.